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Sunday, June 30, 2013

RFQ for Civic Center Doesn't Even Ask for Firms to Fix Seismic Problems

Agenda Item Approving
Request for Qualifications – Led Public
to Believe that RFQ Was Necessary to Deal with Seismic Issues Related to City
Hall -- RFQ Fails To Ask For Any Firm to Retrofit, Repurpose or Rehab – Only Asks
for Teardown and Rebuild

Long Beach, CA – June 30, 2013-- Despite being told at a
February 12 meeting, that a Request for Qualifications would help the City
deal with the seismic issues related to City Hall, nothing was included in the
actual document that calls for firms to retrofit, repurpose or rehab the
current facility, says Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske.

“I voted for the RFQ on
the basis that we would be able to find firms to help us deal with any seismic
problems. Nothing is contained in the RFQ that calls for that.”

Schipske also notes that Council directed City management to
have a “peer review” or second study done of the first and only seismic
assessment done on the Civic Center in 2005 as FEMA guidelines have changed and
the Civic Center is not considered an essential building.

“This hasn’t happened and it is key to what the City needs
to do. If an updated assessment indicates that the buildings can be retrofitted
and repurposed then we don’t have to tear down and rebuild which would save the
taxpayers a considerable amount of money,” notes Schipske.

Schipske is concerned that the “train has left the station”
and that taxpayers were not allowed “on board.”

“Let’s get a real assessment of the needs and costs for
seismic retrofit for the Civic Center before we begin encumbering taxpayers
with debt for new structures that may not be needed.”

Link to council meeting discussing this issue: http://longbeach.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=&clip_id=6285&meta_id=450171